At a recent meeting of the Limerick No. 2 Council, chaired by Captain O’Brien, an interesting discussion arose regarding a resolution of thanks to be given to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for their services in presiding over council deliberations during the past twelve months.

Captain O’Brien opened the floor by asking the Clerk to provide the council with a record of the number of times both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman had taken the chair in the last year, as well as the names of private members who had acted as chair in their absence. The Clerk was unable to answer immediately, and the Chairman, Captain O’Brien, reminded everyone that this question had been raised at the previous meeting.

Captain O’Brien explained his reason for asking the question. He expressed concern over a resolution passed the previous month, which thanked the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for their services in the chair throughout the year. He believed that they were not entitled to such thanks due to their limited presence during council meetings.

The Chairman asked Captain O’Brien if he objected to the resolution of thanks being given. Captain O’Brien clarified that he didn’t object to it, but he didn’t think it should be received by Mr Stritche, a member of the council.

Another council member, Mr Madden, expressed confusion over the situation, prompting Captain O’Brien to explain further. He claimed that Mr Madden proposed the resolution of thanks for political reasons, implying that it was done to favor the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, despite their infrequent attendance in the chair.

Mr Madden defended his proposal, stating that he thanked the Chairman and Vice-Chairman for their dedication to the council’s business. He asserted that Captain O’Brien’s criticism seemed to stem from personal vendettas rather than genuine concerns.

A suggestion was made to amend the vote of thanks, but the idea was not entertained. The Clerk eventually provided the requested information, revealing that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman had presided over five and four meetings, respectively, during the past twelve months. Captain O’Brien chaired six times, while Mr Thomas Bourke took the chair three times.

The discussion came to a close after the information was presented. Despite the tension, it appeared that the resolution of thanks remained in place, leaving the matter to be settled among the council members.

Limerick Echo – Tuesday 13 June 1905